With the increase in choices of farm inputs, pesticides, herbicides, high yielding varieties of seeds, a farmer today requires guidance of expert agriculturists more than anything else. Some one with whom they can share their crop related issues and learn preventive measures. Kisan Call Center (KCC) is a pioneering initiative started in Madhya Pradesh by the Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP).

The Kisan Call Centre is a combination of ICT (Information Communication Technology) and Agriculture technology. It uses a backend data support system, which is inbuilt into the overall MIS (Management Information System). KCC enables farmers to have direct discussions with the subject matter experts who are able to analyze the problem effectively and provide the solution directly.
A central call centre has been established which takes queries of farmers and answers in their language from 7 am to 7 pm, seven days a week. The MIS software captures callers’ details and specifications of the query which helps in analysing area-wise and crop-wise details within a time space framework and provides preventive, advance action solutions. It also identifies pest attacks in any particular geographical area and the information collected is provided to the State Agriculture Department for taking timely action by broadcasting on television, radio and other mediums. During the drought of 2009 Kharif, and untimely floods in October 2009, KCC was transformed into a control room providing preventive solutions to reduce crop damage on an area-specific basis across Madhya Pradesh.

The KCC Model has helped expedite farmer query redressal by almost three times compared to its predecessors. About 1.8 lakh calls were received during the first 18 months of the operation from around 1 lakh farmers all across the state. So far , more than 3 lakh farmers have benefitted from this Kisan Call Center. The level of satisfaction is evident from the fact that around 12 percent of the calls are “Thank You” calls!

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